Published: February 16, 1992

MADISON, Wis.—
Hundreds of juniors here will take a standardized assessment test this month despite opposition from university administrators, faculty members and students.

The test, which is intended to measure math and English skills, is part of a systemwide pilot program mandated last February by the Board of Regents, the governing body of the University of Wisconsin system.

Over 4,000 juniors randomly selected from throughout the 13 colleges in the system will be asked to take the test voluntarily. University administrators at Madison sent 1,400 letters to juniors several weeks ago to inform them. Officials said they expected at least one-fourth of those invited to take the test.

Thomas Lyon, the president of the regents, said the test allows the board to determine students' minimum competence. The public has a right to know if university students are learning college-level math and English skills, Mr. Lyon added.

But Stephen Portch, the vice president of academic affairs for the university system, said the broad-based nature of the test's sections limits their value for assessing students' skills. Multiple Choice and Essay

One of three 40-minute tests prepared by American College Testing, a private testing company, will be randomly assigned to participating students. There are a multiple-choice mathematics test, a multiple-choice writing skills test and an essay writing exercise.

"We'll get a gross score and compare it to national norms," Mr. Portch said. "The test will not help us learn how to improve our curriculum or teaching methods."

Joel Corry, the associate vice chancellor of academic affairs at Madison, also warned about relying on standardized tests, saying educators often look to them for a "quick fix."

There is not one simple way to evaluate education, Mr. Corry said. To get a meaningful assessment, the system must look at students' background and preparation along with other factors involved in learning, he said. Both Mr. Corry and Mr. Portch said they favored other methods of assessment, like one now used at the Madison campus. Course Work and Experience

A pilot project started two years ago at the Madison campus focuses on the course work and feedback of students, said Char Tortorice, associate director of the Office of Testing and Evaluation Services at Madison. In the program, professors volunteer work from their students, like lab reports or papers, to be analyzed and evaluated. Other professors give their class a math test. Both tests ask students about their past activities and experiences.

Lack of such background information reduces the value of standardized tests, said Michele Goodwin, academic affairs director for the United Council of Wisconsin Student Governments. Ms. Goodwin, a senior from New York City majoring in African studies, denounced the systemwide testing, saying that biases in such tests makes them unfair and inaccurate.

"This is another example of wasted efforts in our system," she said.

Susan Schmidt, a junior from Milwaukee majoring in communication arts, plans to take the test despite reservations. "I want to take it to see what standards they are measuring students by," she said. "But I don't think the results will tell us anything."

Mr. Lyon acknowledged that the tests have some drawbacks and that other forms of assessment should also be used throughout the system, but said the board adopted the pilot program at a time when administrators and faculty "were not very willing to quantify their performance."